Little Falls transcript., 1887-03-25

engagement il. she wished; the other
from Frederick Firth to Richard Dale,
reproaching him for his Irritation with
an engaged girl, and regretting that he
should have lost the high sense OF
honor which had SO ennobled his boy
hood. n
The young people in Sunny dale have
tempersa They do not pine in secret.
or let q fog OF misunderstanding nour- !
lsh poisonous vapors. tits we'll known
that thunder-storms clear the air:
thus Richard and Julie presently de-
velOped q social thunder storm which
edectually cleared the atmosphere of
Supnydale.
Julie. with her black eyes flashing
and cheeks ablaze, wrote the following
emphatic telegram to George Lane, in
Vienna
lit is all crazy nonsense. will in
vestigate and explain" .,s..
Grandpa Frankland speeded it on
it's way, wondering much at the pecu-
liar idosyncrasies of giddy young peo-
pie.
Richard. I grieve to state, swore over
his friends instructive and admoni-
tory letter. and then sent this tele-
gram to Frederick Firth, in Sherman:
"Obliged for advice. A pack OF lies.
Will write TO- morrow"
That afternoon Richard Dale and
Julia Frankland were seen together in
Richards buggy.
just rs Miss Lawndes was saying,
s'Of course, it's all settled now!" the
buggy stopped before the door, and
Richard helped Julia to alight.
"Miss I!awndes," said Richard, as
that lady hurried to the door, "Miss
Frankland and are determined to
learn how our names came to be con-
| nected in manner which has caused
us great annoyance. We have made
two calls, and in each we have been
referred to you.''
Miss Lawndes looked angry and
embarrassed. She replied stifly:
IL prefer to refer you to some one
else; all the village saw it,"
'"To whom do you refer us?" asked
Richard, looking very stern.
"Mrs. Allen saw it just after I did,
and the Poulett girls just before; you
must excuse me-"
Then Miss Law des retreated into the
house; for never since she had fitted
on" Richards youthful shirt-waists,
had she seen him look so annoyed
and angry.
"What in the mischief does she
mean?" exclaimed Richard.
"Let us 60 to Mrs. Allen," said
Julia.
They found Mrs. Allen working at
her flower beds. When she realized
the presence OF these two in her path,
she raised herself ponderously, and
looked at them over her spectacles.
"Mrs. Allen," said Richard, "will
you please tell us what you have ever
seen to cause you to think there was
any Irritation between Miss Frankland
and myself?'
Mrs. Allen looked around for some
support, but finding nothing nearer
retreated to the doorstep and sat
down, while the two young people
stood in front of her.
"You want to know, Richard, do
you? Well, / thought you'd have
heard it g. dozen times in the last three
weeks. So there isn't anything in it.
is there?" she said, in q slow way.
"Miss Frankland is engaged to
gentleman for whom l have the highest
regard, and we have never imagined
that our names could be connected till
this morning, when we received letters
from friends at distance, informing
us that we were the victims OF some
objectionable gossip whose name we
are now determined to find out"
"Well, Richard" said Mrs. Allen,
clasping her fat hands around her
garden trowel, "you walked down
Main street ON the 28th day OF April
with a long red fringe off OF jules col
lar hanging to the top button OF your
coat, and all the village noticed it,"
'Did II" said Richard, impatiently,
land what more?"
"What more? Seems to me most
people would think if mans coat
was that near to d girls collar-no, I
don't mean to say you had kissed her,
but you could have counted her eye
lashes, Richard" and Mrs. Allan
looked at the two amazed young peo-
pie with a. deprecating air.
"On the 28th day of April I never
left my room; had one of my bad
sore throats, DR.. Allan knows" ex-
claimed Julia.
II was at your house, but l only
saw your grandfather about some
deeds," said Richard.
"And my collarette, my red chenille
collar that George sent me from Paris!
I;you :.;y, could not have been even near
Everybody knows that collar, Ju-
| liza; there's not another in Sunnydale
"a long red fringe, with a little gold
tassel at the end of it," said Mrs.
| Allan.
"Mrs. Allan, ask you to take my
word for it that Miss Frankland and
l have neither firted; that did not
see her on that day, and l am utterly
ignorant as to how piece of her fringe
became attached to my coat BUTTON"
said Richard, in q firm Tone
Then the two puzzled, angry young
people drove away, this time to Mr..
Frankland's. Bessie Frankland was
hanging on the gate.
Bessie" said Julie, "tell me, did
you ever take my red collarette out
OF my room? l won't scold-not one
word--but Mr.. Dale and 1 must know
the truth"
Bessie coesidered a few moments,
"It was ages ago-the day wegot the
last arbutus. l only had it on for q
| minute
"Where did you put it afterward?"
''Back in your drawer-oh! first I
hung ton the hatstand; guess it was
there til! after supper, bue 1 didn't
hurt it. a scrap, and I put it back in
your drawer when I took up your
supper. You were sick that day.
''rhere! You, caught the fringe on
your coat when you got your hat and